Need Help? Live Chat Available 10am-5pm, Mon-Fri

Free Delivery Worldwide

Introduction to the mode dial


You've finally made the breakthrough and got yourself a brand spanking new digital SLR with enough technological oomph to power a small satellite.

But, in all honesty, once the wrappings are off, battery charged and loaded, power button on, a mere glance at the mode dial leaves you slightly uneasy.

Sure you want to push up the ante on the kinds of photos that fill your current photobooks, but this is a whole new division to compacts. Worry not, we've ripped out all the excessive jargon and stripped it down to its bare bones.

It's time to get creative.

Scenic modes

This set of dials are fundamentally the steps leading you to the bridge that carries you on from compact to SLR.

Ultimately, you're still passive, which isn't a bad thing when you're learning the ropes.

For example, turn the dial to sport mode and the camera automatically chooses a high-shutter speed to capture the action whereas portrait mode will decide on a larger aperture to create a shallow depth of field.

All great, but sometimes you want more control: here's where the "creative modes" come in handy.

Program mode (P)

Whereas the scenic modes are the steps, the program mode is the bridge - it starts to lessen the dependence on automatic and give you more control.

It's an opportunity to explore things in a controlled environment.

Here you can control exposure and flash, yet still have the shutter speed and aperture settings decided for you.

Shutter mode (S/TV)

Free reign to control speed is grants the photographer a lot of creativity.

By being able to choose the speed of the shutter you are able to control how long it stays open.

More light is allowed into the camera the longer a shutter is open.

The faster the speed, the more time you can "freeze".

Aperture mode (A/AV)

You select aperture, the camera selects the shutter speed.

This gives you control over the picture's depth of field and how much light hits your sensor.

A small aperture gives you a deeper depth of field - more of the image is in focus.

Manual mode (M)

This mode gives you full control, which is all about knowledge and skill.

It takes a seasoned pro to understand how to balance the aperture and shutter speed in any given environment.

A lot of this comes down to the light of the environment and the light that enters your camera.

Master this and you're on your way to a lifetime of photography you never knew was possible.

 

 

Articles


MyMemory Product Site

Feedback Form
Feedback Analytics